On Aug. 16, 2021, scientists at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced they had developed a new sample preparation method to detect SARS-Cov-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

The method bypasses extraction of the virusﾒ genetic RNA material, simplifying sample purification and potentially reducing test time and cost. The method is the result of a collaboration among researchers at the National Eye Institute, the NIH Clinical Center, and the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.